2 photos for C&C Please. Taken Thanksgiving 2011

[Bitter Jeweler]

Photo Guy: Remember I said in my reply to your pm that you should start afresh and read some books?

Please do so. Read some books on the basics of composition, on exposure and get some new looks on the ordinary things around you. Photography doesn't have to be about 'pretty' things. It is about finding a subject, and by using exposure and composition to get your subject or message across. If people can't see your message or subject without prompting, then the photograph isn't working. It doesn't matter how nice or otherwise the scene is, it's about capturing a scene and making it speak. have a look at some of the photos you have 'critiqued' in particular, Ron's hat and the love tree. They are both good shots that convey a message clearly. Are they perfect? No, but they don't have to be because their message or story is very clear.

You have been photographing for the fire service for 2 years I believe you said. No you're not a professional, but I'm sure you'd like to be to a professional standard. I'll be plainly honest, you have a long, long way to go. Read, read, read again and then read some more. In between reading, practise on simple things like a building - yes even that 'ugly' building you dismissed. Work with the books or online material and work on composition as they suggest: just googling 'rule of thirds' will give you something to work on.

Give it a week or two and then post us what you have learned, and ask for guidance on the next step. I would suggest that you don't C&C other's work technically until you have a bit more knowledge and experience that will give you some credibility. I'm not meaning to be cruel, but telling people they need to center things repeatedly just shows your inexperience. Yes sometimes the subject should be centred, but actually majority of the time important things should be 'on the thirds' and the eye naturally wanders to the right top third.

I think you are missing out an awful lot by not learning composition. You will get so much more respect if you go off for a week or two learn some stuff and then show us where you are. It's no good complaining that people aren't commenting on your work. I have things in the galleries section of the forum that have quite a few views but few or no comments. What does that tell me? It tells me that although those images may be good, they aren't striking or interesting enough for people to have commented on it. Am I offended? No. It just means that I have to work harder.

The best thing about any form of art, be it music, painting, photography etc is that it is fairly subjective so there is no limit on your ability to improve. Embrace that and you will start to move forward.

Hmmm...sounds like familiar advice, with lots more words.

You are repeatedly posting snapshots, and offering up excuses for everything people point out.

Go study composition for a month, employ the theories you learn, and come back and post these images that you took your time , and thought out your composition, with no excuses. Are you willing to accept this challenge?

 

[gsgary]

If you go back to just above the photos, I did post my own C&C on there when I posted them this time and as I stated, this other photography is still new to me.

I don't want to appear to be picking on you, but what's 'this other photography'? The principles of photography apply to all types of photography. All the usual rules apply re exposure and composition. So you should apply the same to your fire photography as to landscape. This will mean that from your reading you're fire photography will also improve.

Don't whatever you do judge photography by what you see in the papers. So often the quality is appaulingly low. What passes for photography in the UK press is often shot at mega high ISO so you can see the noise on a tiny photo, and some are even taken by a photographer of his TV screen with all the associated issues. Go and look at some great photographers work, Some UK ones of note, Joe Cornish as gsgary, mentioned, David Noton. Look at their compositions. Joe shoots with a 5D MkII but the fact that he uses a high spec camera has little to do with it. Composition rules are the same whether you shoot with an iphone or a hassleblad.

here is one of David Noton's galleries. Have a look. lots of leading lines, foreground interest, rule of thirds

http://www.davidnoton.com/gallery2.htm

In particular note the old man in the black and white. his eyes are pin sharp and are on the top right third. He is not dead centre, not even on the third.


And some of Joe Cornish's

http://www.joecornishgallery.co.uk/gallery/list/category/limited-edition-prints

Joe Cornish is shooting mostly with 3 cameras at the moment
1 Panasonic Lumix LX-3
2 D700
3 Linhof Techno field camera with a phase one P45 back

 

[thereyougo!]

If you go back to just above the photos, I did post my own C&C on there when I posted them this time and as I stated, this other photography is still new to me.

I don't want to appear to be picking on you, but what's 'this other photography'? The principles of photography apply to all types of photography. All the usual rules apply re exposure and composition. So you should apply the same to your fire photography as to landscape. This will mean that from your reading you're fire photography will also improve.

Don't whatever you do judge photography by what you see in the papers. So often the quality is appaulingly low. What passes for photography in the UK press is often shot at mega high ISO so you can see the noise on a tiny photo, and some are even taken by a photographer of his TV screen with all the associated issues. Go and look at some great photographers work, Some UK ones of note, Joe Cornish as gsgary, mentioned, David Noton. Look at their compositions. Joe shoots with a 5D MkII but the fact that he uses a high spec camera has little to do with it. Composition rules are the same whether you shoot with an iphone or a hassleblad.

here is one of David Noton's galleries. Have a look. lots of leading lines, foreground interest, rule of thirds

http://www.davidnoton.com/gallery2.htm

In particular note the old man in the black and white. his eyes are pin sharp and are on the top right third. He is not dead centre, not even on the third.


And some of Joe Cornish's

Limited Edition Prints | Gallery | Joe Cornish Gallery

Joe Cornish is shooting mostly with 3 cameras at the moment
1 Panasonic Lumix LX-3
2 D700
3 Linhof Techno field camera with a phase one P45 back

Must be David that shoots with the canon then

 

[thereyougo!]

Photo Guy: Remember I said in my reply to your pm that you should start afresh and read some books?

Please do so. Read some books on the basics of composition, on exposure and get some new looks on the ordinary things around you. Photography doesn't have to be about 'pretty' things. It is about finding a subject, and by using exposure and composition to get your subject or message across. If people can't see your message or subject without prompting, then the photograph isn't working. It doesn't matter how nice or otherwise the scene is, it's about capturing a scene and making it speak. have a look at some of the photos you have 'critiqued' in particular, Ron's hat and the love tree. They are both good shots that convey a message clearly. Are they perfect? No, but they don't have to be because their message or story is very clear.

You have been photographing for the fire service for 2 years I believe you said. No you're not a professional, but I'm sure you'd like to be to a professional standard. I'll be plainly honest, you have a long, long way to go. Read, read, read again and then read some more. In between reading, practise on simple things like a building - yes even that 'ugly' building you dismissed. Work with the books or online material and work on composition as they suggest: just googling 'rule of thirds' will give you something to work on.

Give it a week or two and then post us what you have learned, and ask for guidance on the next step. I would suggest that you don't C&C other's work technically until you have a bit more knowledge and experience that will give you some credibility. I'm not meaning to be cruel, but telling people they need to center things repeatedly just shows your inexperience. Yes sometimes the subject should be centred, but actually majority of the time important things should be 'on the thirds' and the eye naturally wanders to the right top third.

I think you are missing out an awful lot by not learning composition. You will get so much more respect if you go off for a week or two learn some stuff and then show us where you are. It's no good complaining that people aren't commenting on your work. I have things in the galleries section of the forum that have quite a few views but few or no comments. What does that tell me? It tells me that although those images may be good, they aren't striking or interesting enough for people to have commented on it. Am I offended? No. It just means that I have to work harder.

The best thing about any form of art, be it music, painting, photography etc is that it is fairly subjective so there is no limit on your ability to improve. Embrace that and you will start to move forward.

Hmmm...sounds like familiar advice, with lots more words.

You are repeatedly posting snapshots, and offering up excuses for everything people point out.

Go study composition for a month, employ the theories you learn, and come back and post these images that you took your time , and thought out your composition, with no excuses. Are you willing to accept this challenge?

True, but he isn't going to listen to you....even though he should...

 

[thereyougo!]

PhotoGuy - Just to demonstrate what I was saying as gsgary says above Joe Cornish often shoots with this compact

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC...LBSA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325186663&sr=8-1

It's a quality compact with a small sensor but a great Leica lens. Composition is key. I haven't used that camera myself although I am aware of it - the leica compact version is much more expensive even though it is essentially the same camera.

 

[photo guy]

I will look at the links later tonight. Thanks

 

[gsgary]

I will look at the links later tonight. Thanks

Have a look here

 

[kundalini]

Have a look here

:thumbup: Very cool video.

 

[MissCream]

I think this is where the term "Noob" becomes an insult. The insult does not come from the quality of the photos, but more of a certain attitude. We all started somewhere and most of us are in fact "Noobs". I see Noob used as an insult when someone who just joined, posts photos, feel entitled to a certain amount/type of attention, then bitches and moans 5 minutes later when they have yet to receive the responses they feel they are so worthy of. (this is a general statement in way reflecting the OP)

Noob = Someone who doesn't know what they are doing.
Newbie = Someone who is new.

 

[photo guy]

MissCream, are you implying this as an insult or bash towards me or are you just respondings to the other posts as it looks?

 

[MLeeK]

You just aren't getting the hang of a forum, are you? When you quote someone within a post you are usually responding to what that person said.

This is one of those posts that won't die

 

[MTVision]

MissCream, are you implying this as an insult or bash towards me or are you just respondings to the other posts as it looks?

I doubt she is saying anything to you - you gotta stop reading into everything. People make jokes and are sarcastic - its nothing new.

And Honestly why do you care if people are rude to you? If you think people are being rude then just ignore them. It's not that big of a deal. Nobody knows you and you don't know anybody else. What do you do in real life if you don't get along with someone?

 

[thereyougo!]

MissCream, are you implying this as an insult or bash towards me or are you just respondings to the other posts as it looks?

Photo Guy, remember something else I told you: you need to develop thick skin. At the moment it is the thickness of tracing paper - very thin. You will learn very little like this. You need to be able to take serious criticism and respond in a cool way. You will also get some banter which makes forums more interesting. Don't be so quick to jump to the defensive.

 

[RichardsTPF]

Both pictures are lack of subject. They are both tilted.
In #1, I see the road leads to blank blue sky (not a building, a statue, or a landmark). and I can't see where you focused at.
In #2, again, the road leads to flare lights. And the WB is off.
I did the same on my first post here: a boring road leads to nothing.

 

[photo guy]

Thank You RichardsTPF